PETALING JAYA: Members of Parliament should support the proposed Amendments to the Medical Act 1971, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
“These amendments are crucial for resolving the ongoing parallel pathway issue and addressing the critical shortage of medical specialists in Malaysia,” said MMA president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz in an open letter on Monday (15 July).
He also said that the proposed Amendments will benefit both the parallel pathway and masters programs, ensuring that graduates from both routes will have clear paths to specialist registration.
“The MMA hopes that with these Amendments, more doctors will take up specialization, which is critically needed by the country. They can choose whichever pathway suits them best, retaining talent within the system and in the country,” he added.
The Amendments are slated to be tabled for the first reading in the Dewan Rakyat later on Monday (July 15 ) by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The proposed Amendments came about after the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) refused to recognise certain parallel pathway programmes aimed at training cardiothoracic surgeons, even as government hospitals face a dire shortage of such specialists.
